


Pain of the Past

by samanthaswishes



Series: Their Future [9]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Family, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Feels, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Future Fic, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Kid Fic, Light Angst, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Post-Canon, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-09
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-13 00:55:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28644831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/samanthaswishes/pseuds/samanthaswishes
Summary: Eleanor Johnson's inhuman gift allows her to see the past, but what happens when she sees something so painful that makes her shut down? Thankfully, her mother is there to pick her back up.
Relationships: Melinda May & Original Child Character(s), Melinda May & Skye | Daisy Johnson, Skye | Daisy Johnson & Original Child Character(s), Skye | Daisy Johnson/Daniel Sousa
Series: Their Future [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1935418
Comments: 2
Kudos: 50





	Pain of the Past

**Author's Note:**

> Background: Eleanor received her inhuman power when she was eight years old. Her power is similar to Robin's except she sees the past instead of the future. She does draw the events she sees out on paper like Robin does though.

_February 2036_

May walked up to the Johnson household after a long day teaching at Coulson Academy. Over the years, she has been over on many different occasions including babysitting the kids, emergencies, or even just to visit whenever she felt like it. Today, Daisy had called her, asking her to come over. Daisy sounded a little nervous and worried on the phone, indicating to May that something was up.

May knocked on the door. She heard the footsteps rushing towards the door. She could tell from the sound of the door creaking that someone was looking through the little peephole. Thanks to her power, May could tell exactly who it was.

"Come on, Michael," May began. "Did your mother not tell you I was coming over?"

The almost-fifteen-year-old opened the door for his grandmother. "Hey, what if it just so happened to not be you? Dad is very strict on the stranger-danger thing." 

The grandmother and grandson shared a hug. "Where's your mom."

"She's upstairs with Ellie. I can go get her."

Michael went upstairs to let his mom know May was here. Lillianne had heard that May was there and came downstairs to hug her.

"How is freshman year going for the both of you?" May asked.

"It's actually going really good," Lillianne replied. "However, Bella's attitude towards sophomore year is making me not want to finish this year. I'm fine being a freshman."

"Eh, I already can't wait till we're seniors," Michael said as he came back down the stairs. "I just want high school to hurry up, so we can go through terrigenesis and go to the academy."

"Academy, yes. Terrigenesis, I'm not sure," Lillianne said.

"Why's that, Lilly?"

Lilly shrugged. "It's just that my power could be anything. I guess I am scared to find out what it would be, especially if I don't know how to control it. Even worse if it changes my physical appearance, and I'm pretty content with how I look."

May chuckled. "Well, no matter what happens, I still think you'll be a great agent, whether you're a regular field agent or you're on an inhuman team."

Lilly smiled as she joined her brother in the kitchen. Daisy finally came downstairs after a couple of minutes.

"Hey, May." Daisy leaned in and hugged May. 

May could sense the apprehensiveness and the worry in Daisy. 

"Is everything okay? I know Daniel's at work, but where's Eleanor?"

"Actually, she's the reason I called you," Daisy said. May tilted her head, motioning for Daisy to continue. "I just can't get through to her."

"What do you mean?"

"She's gone silent again," Daisy explained. "And it's not just that. She hasn't drawn anything in about a week and a half. I don't know what happened, but she just shut everyone out again. Her teacher emailed me today saying she was worried about her. I don't understand. She was so happy just last week during her birthday party. I just..." Daisy sighed, trying to compose herself. "Ever since she went through terrigenesis, I feel like it's harder for me to reach her. I just feel like I'm doing something wrong. I feel like I'm back to when she was a newborn."

May nodded, understanding the situation. Eleanor had only gone through terrigenesis about six months ago. It was a struggle for her, seeing events from their past play out in her mind, and not know how to feel about it all, especially at the young age she was.

"Daisy, I'm sure whatever it is, it's not your fault," May assured her.

"I know," Daisy replied. "I just don't know how to help her. She won't talk to me, Daniel, or the twins. You're the next person I could think of that could get through to her."

"So what I'm assuming you want me to do is to look into her emotions?" May asked.

"I mean, if it's not too much trouble," Daisy said. "I know it's kind of violating, but I'm really scared for her, May. She's only nine. She's way too young to be experiencing this kind of thing."

Suddenly, a memory came into May's mind. A memory of a little girl, with a similar power to Eleanor's, who stopped talking and drawing when she saw something.

"I'll see what I can do," May said. "But come with me. I'm sure having her mom there will make her feel better too."

Both May and Daisy headed up the stairs to Ellie's room.

* * *

May softly knocked on Eleanor's bedroom door. The nine-year-old girl's room was painted a lavender color and had the drawings she had created over the past few months taped to the walls. 

"Ellie?"

Eleanor was sitting at her desk when she looked over to May. May could sense the fear the little girl was feeling. It wasn't hard to tell that her eyes had fear in them as well. It was clear to May that she definitely saw something that shook her entirely. May walked up to her slowly as Daisy stayed by the door.

"Your mom says that something's bothering you?" May asked. Ellie shrugged her shoulders in response. "Do you want to tell me what it is?"

Ellie shook her head, her hands staying close to her body in her lap. May bent down in front of the chair Ellie was seated in.

"Why not?" Ellie stayed silent. May remembered her being like this when she first went through terrigenesis, but this was a different kind of scared. "Did you see something you didn't want to?"

Ellie finally nodded, giving May clues as to what may have happened.

"You see a lot of bad things, don't you?" May asked. "I know cause we lived through everything you are seeing, so I know how scary some of the things you've seen are. Can you tell me what you saw?"

"....No," Ellie finally spoke for the first time in a few days. Daisy let out an audible breath, relieved that her daughter finally spoke to someone again.

"Why not?"

"Because."

May shook her head with a sad smile as she pushed Eleanor's hair out of her face. "I know it can be scary, but talking about it can really help you a lot. That's something I struggled with for a long time before you were even born." Ellie still stayed silent, scared of what she saw. "Did you draw it out at all?"

It was a couple of seconds before Ellie nodded yes, she did. "It's in the trashcan though," she said, motioning to the trashcan under her desk.

"Now, what is it doing in there?"

"Because I didn't want to look at it."

"Well, can I see it?" May said. 

Eleanor thought about it for a little bit before getting a crumpled piece of paper out of the trashcan. She quickly handed it to May, not wanting to look at the contents of the drawing.

May uncrumpled the paper to reveal the crayon drawing on it. There were two figures in the drawing: one boy and one girl. The boy had a gun in his hand and it was pointed at the girl. The girl, who had a sad face, had blood falling from her stomach. May shifted uncomfortably, feeling terrible for the little girl sitting in front of her having to see something gruesome like that. May analyzed the drawing even more. There wasn't really an indication of who the people in the drawing were, and there was no way Ellie was going to tell her who it was. It wasn't until May spotted something drawn in the background. It was a small detail, but that small detail told May all she needed to know.

"I know someone who can help you get through this," May told her granddaughter before getting up and walking towards Daisy. She showed her the drawing. "This is what she drew last. Does that look like a hyperbaric chamber to you?" 

May pointed to the teal, cylinder shape on the side of the drawing. Daisy analyzed the drawing for herself. Daisy's breath got practically caught in her throat. "Is this when..."

"I think she saw Ian Quinn shooting you," May said.

Daisy sighed. "Poor thing."

"Talk to her."

"I don't know if I can-"

May cut her off. "If anyone can help her get through this vision, it's you. You had PTSD and nightmares from this after SHIELD fell."

"Well, SHIELD did fall literally right after this happened so..." Daisy trailed off.

"Just talk to her. She needs you right now, Daisy. Even if she doesn't seem like it. I know you can help her. I mean, I can only beat up Ian Quinn so many times to make everyone feel better." Daisy chuckled at May's response. "I'll be downstairs with the twins."

"I swear to God, if you touch anything in Daniel's kitchen..."

"Don't worry, I won't be catching your kitchen on fire," May said. "I also know Michael isn't allowed to touch anything either, so we'll just be downstairs, talking, while you talk with Eleanor."

May left the room as Daisy took a breath. Daisy looked to Eleanor and motioned to her bed, mentally telling her to take a seat on it. Ellie obeyed as she joined her mother on her bed.

"When did you see this happening?" Daisy asked.

"Just a little after my birthday," Eleanor mumbled. "I didn't want to draw it for a while, but then I saw it again, so I had to draw it."

"Why didn't you talk to me about it if it made you so upset?" Daisy asked.

Ellie shrugged her shoulders. "I guess I didn't want to give you those bad memories."

"Oh, Ellie." Daisy scooped her youngest child into her arms and basically cradled her, rocking her back and forth. "I promise I'm alright."

"But I've seen you not alright so many times," Ellie admitted, tears beginning to spill out of her eyes. "I've seen you get hurt so many times, and I hate it. I wish I never got this power because I just see people I love getting hurt. I heard the way you were calling for help, and you looked so pale. I-"

Daisy kissed the top of her head. "Ellie, I promise you, all of us are alright. I'm so so sorry you have to go through this." Daisy placed Ellie back on the bed as she grabbed the bottom of her shirt and lifted it, showing her stomach.

Ellie's eyes centered on the scar that was on her mother's stomach. "Is that from..."

Daisy nodded. "Yeah. The GH-325 formula did save my life, but it didn't quite get rid of any scarring."

"Does it still hurt?" Eleanor asked. she sniffed as she wiped the tears that were still falling. "Cause I've also seen when they were waiting for results at the hospital. They told Papa Coulson that your stomach was prefer... perfor.."

"Perforated?" Daisy finished for her. Ellie nodded "It was, and I'm not going to lie, but I did almost die, but thankfully for Papa Coulson, Lao Lao, Uncle Fitz, Auntie Jemma, and, though I hate to admit it, Mr. Assface, I made it through."

Ellie let out a small laugh at the nickname the kids had come up for Ward. 

"There's my little fighter," Daisy said, relieved to see her daughter smiling and laughing again.

"But you're okay?" Ellie asked.

"I am. And although it still affects my life even today, It makes me stronger," Daisy told her daughter. "And I know that even though seeing these events can feel terrible, I know that they will make you stronger."

"I sure don't feel strong," Eleanor said.

"It may not feel like it now, but you'll get there," Daisy said. "And if you ever have another vision that scares you, don't be afraid to come to me, dad, or even Michael or Lilly."

Eleanor nodded.

"I'm assuming you haven't seen this one yet, because I feel like it would break you even more but..." Daisy moved the hair out of the way on the left side of her neck. There was a huge scar there too that Eleanor's eyes centered on. "I don't want to go into detail about what happened just yet as I still struggle with this one, but once you see this one, you'll know it, I want you to come straight to me. You got that?" 

Ellie nodded once again.

Daisy brought her daughter in for another big hug. "I love you so much, baby girl."

"I love you too, mommy."

"And hey," Daisy began. "I know you also see some good moments from my past. If you ever feel overwhelmed by the bad memories, just think about the good ones you've seen." Eleanor laughed into her mother's neck. "What's got you all giggly all of a sudden?"

Eleanor looked at her mother straight in the eye. "Why did you say 'it's lady's night' before beating up aliens in what looks like a casino but on a different planet?"

Daisy's eyes went wide. "Um..." Daisy could not think of an explanation without having to explain hallucinogenic drugs and being high to her third-grader. Michael and Lillianne didn't even know the story. Heck, Daniel didn't even know the full scope of what happened in that alien casino, and she didn't want him figuring out the rest from their innocent, nine-year-old daughter. "I'll give you twenty bucks if you don't ever mention the words Kitson or puffies to anyone."

"I don't know," Ellie replied sneakily. By the look on her face, Daisy could tell she was seeing something else from that moment. "I might have to go ask Uncle Fitz what you and Auntie Jemma were doing under a table-"

"Fifty bucks. I'll give you fifty bucks if this stays between us. Eleanor Mackenzie, I beg of you, don't say a single word."

"Deal."

* * *

Daisy and Ellie soon joined the twins and May in the kitchen, where Daniel was already cooking dinner. 

"Why didn't you let me know you were home from work?" Daisy kissed Daniel on the cheek.

"I walked past Ellie's room, and you two looked so content, all cuddled up on her bed. I couldn't interrupt that adorableness."

Daisy and Daniel continued their conversation as Ellie joined Michael, Lillianne, and May at the table. 

"You seem feeling better," May said.

"Mmhm," Ellie replied. It wasn't long before she tapped on her older sister's shoulder.

"What's up?" Lilly prompted.

Eleanor leaned in closer so that their mother didn't hear anything. She whispered to her, "What are puffies?"

May's hand practically flew over her mouth to stop herself from spitting out the tea Daniel had offered her. May slowly swallowed her drink to keep her from laughing and choking all at the same time.

Daisy and Daniel both had concerned looks towards May. May saw the way Eleanor looked at her, and both her eyes and the aura she felt from her told May that she shouldn't say anything regarding what she just said.

"Oh, just your kids are quite hilarious," May said.

"You know it," Michael said. He winked to Ellie before leaning in closer. "I'll tell you all about what happened on the planet of Kitson. Mom thinks I have no idea what happened, but Aunt Piper told me, Alya, and Lilly everything."

Lilly leaned in and whispered to Eleanor. "And trust us, it's a really good story."

Ellie laughed once more. It was times like these that she was glad she was born into this family. Through all the pain and horrible thing she sees, she knew that she had them to help her get through them.

**Author's Note:**

> The Kitson story will never die in this family XD


End file.
